Improvement in registering ballot-boxes



' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. POWELL. REGISTERING BALLO T-BOXES.

Patented Dec. 19,1876,

.Hitesi l'nvenior THE GRAPHIC CDANM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. POWELL.

1 REGISTERING BALLOT-BOXES. No. 185,577. Patented Dec.19, 1876.

1 0 021 it)? i am $12 m UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

JAMES POWELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT I N REGISTERING BALLOT-BOXES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 185,577, dated December 19, 1876; application filed August 11, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES POWELL, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ballot-Boxes, of which the following is a specification Figure 1 is an elevation, showing the lever thatoperates to move the plate under the opening for the ballot-register and,bell also showing ratchet, pawls, hammer, &c. Fig. 2 is a plan view of part of the box with cover removed, showing the plate that closes the opening for the ballot, the bell, and the registerin g apparatus. Fig. 3 is a detail in perspective on smaller scale, showing the box ready for use, the internal parts appearing in dotted lines. Fig. 4 is a perspective, with part of the cover broken away. i

The object of present invention is to produce a ballot-box that cannot be surreptitiously filled with tickets, and to'produce a box or re ceptacle' for ballots at an election, or checks of cash received by tellers or clerks in stores or other places, that cannot be surreptitiously filled when used for votes, or, as a checkreceiving box, cannot be improperly deprived of checks once deposited, and that will indicate every vote or check put into it; and in a box in which are combined a receptacle for the ballots or checks, a suitable valve-cover for the opening through which they are placed in said receptacle, a bell to indicate such deposit, and a register to record the number which have been thus deposited, the whole combined in a compact and simple way, so that but few parts and little mechanism are required, thus aftbrding a cheap and most serviceable device for said purposes or ends, easily made, and not liable, under any ordinary condition of use, to get out of order, all as will now be more in detail set out and explained.

In the drawings, A denotes any box of suitable shape and size, to be used for the purposes above stated, having in its top achute, A, into which the ballot or ch eck is to be placed when the device is in use. The ballot so deposited falls upon disk or plate B, which is placed on its under side, so as to quite closely cover it. The handle 0 of lever C is then moved, and, by means of link b, (one end of which is connected to it, and one to arm I) of disk B, by which arm said disk has a motion on its inner end,) is drawn away from beneath said opening. In its motion it passes under the top plate of the box, and thus the ballot or check is swept from it into the general place or receptacle below. Likewise, in said movement of the lever the pawl c, pivoted to it, operates 011 the ratchet-wheel l), and turns it. In this motion the pawl F, which is held against the ratchet by spring E, is pressed up, and thus the hammer F at the end of arm f on said lever is raised. When the lever has moved so far as to wholly take the disk away from the under side of the ballot-chute the pawl F is released from the ratchet which has lifted it, and the hammer is forced down, by thespring E, upon bell G, the noise of which gives notice of the falling of the ballot into the receptacle. During this operation the cog d of the ratchet-wheel D has engaged upon the cog h of the shaft H, and caused it to revolve with a corresponding speed. This shaft is so arranged, relatively to, and parallel with, another and. rubber-covered shaft, I, and so constructed with roughened surface, that when in motion it will carry along and between the two shafts the band or ribbon K,of any desired length, on which figures are indicated in usual order, commencing at 1. This band may lead from the roller L, on which it is wound between intermediate rollers M N to guide or steady it, and then pass between the roughened surface of H and rubber face of I, as above stated.

When the bell has been struck, and the registering movements, as above described, simultaneously completed, the counter-balance c on its end will restore the lever to its normal condition; or a spring may be adapted for this purpose, or any convenient device or mechanism.

After the band K has been unwound from roller L, by simply releasing the rollers, wheels, and shafts, and reversing the movement of L by hand or by crank from inside of the, box, or in any such ready manner as would easily suggest itself, the band may be restored to its normal position. glass 0, or any suitable opening under which the band passes, its figures may be read.

As now shown, the bell and part of the mech- Through the anism above described are in the ballot or check receiving chamber; but it is evident that by suitable screen or otherwise all these portions can be separated from said chamber, so that there shall be no chance of their disturbing the motion of the ballots in entering or being discharged from the box. The adjustment and arrangement of all these features heretofore described will afford a very simple, cheap, and most durable device, and one that cannot, under any ordinary use, get out of order or repair. There will be afl'orded no opportunity afforded to crowd into this box a number of votes surreptitously, because the aperture for the admission of ballots will not easily admit more than one ordinary sized ticket. And again, no ticket can get into the receptacle inside without movementof the registering-band. Hence, if there is discrepancy between the two, any over-voting will be readily detected.

If desired, glass faces or panels may be put into the walls of the ballot-receiving chamber, to allow the contents of same to be seen.

While I have shown and described a convenient registering apparatus, I design, when necessary for registering large totals, to make such mechanical changes as will enable me to show in the strips or otherwise the hundreds and thousands.

Having thus described my invention, what I consider new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, in a ballot or check box, as described, of the lever C, pawl c, horizontally-swinging plate B, having pivoted arm b and link I), pawl F, spring E, arm f, hammer F, and bell G with the ratchet D, having cog d, adapted to operate the registering mechanism, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES POWELL.

Witnesses S. J. HUMPHREY, ALBERT DURHAM. 

